Responding to Infowars call, protesters mass in Austin to...

1of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

2of41A passing vehicle honks the car horn while a passenger shows his support for the protestors gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

3of41Alex Jones speaks to the protesters gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

4of41Those in attendance look to get a photo of Alex Jones while gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin protesting the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

5of41Alex Jones moves through the protesters gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

6of41Protesters rally at the Texas State Capitol to speak out against Texas' handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, in Austin, Texas, Saturday, April 18, 2020. Austin and many other Texas cities remain under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 outbreak except for essential personal.Photo: Eric Gay, AP

7of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

8of41Protesters gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin, looking to end coronavirus restrictions. Participants generally were not following social distancing or wearing masks.Photo: Photos by Stephen Spillman /Contributor

9of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

10of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

11of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

12of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

13of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

14of41Austin police and Department of Public Safety troopers monitor the protestors gathering at the Texas Capitol looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

15of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

16of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

17of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

18of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

19of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

20of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

21of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

22of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

23of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

24of41Department of Public Safety troopers work to keep protestors on the sidewalk as they gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin wanting to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

25of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

26of41Department of Public Safety troopers monitor protestors as they gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin wanting to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

27of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

28of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

29of41A passing vehicle honks the car horn showing support for the protestors gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

30of41Alex Jones pumps his fist as he joins protesters gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

31of41Alex Jones pumps his fist as he joins protesters gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

32of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

33of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

34of41Protestors gather at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

35of41Alex Jones moves through the protesters gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

36of41Alex Jones moves through the protesters gathering at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

37of41Alex Jones exits a protest at the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

38of41Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones greets protesters Saturday in Austin as the crowd called for the end of COVID-19 safety measures. A reader sees the president fueling such protests.Photo: Stephen Spillman /Contributor

39of41Alex Jones speaks as he and his military style vehicle pull away from the Texas Capitol in Austin during a protest looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

40of41Conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones arrives at a protest in Austin on Saturday, April 18, 2020, to call for the lifting of social, economic restrictions in the U.S.Photo: Eric Dexheimer

41of41Additional protestors make their way to the Texas Capitol in Austin looking to end to the coronavirus shutdowns, Saturday, April 19, 2020.(Stephen Spillman / for Express-News)Photo: Stephen Spillman / Stephen Spillman

AUSTIN — Encouraged by the apparent support of President Donald Trump, about 200 protesters defied social distancing rules Saturday afternoon to mass in front of the Texas Capitol to call for lifting of social and economic restrictions enacted to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Chanting “Let us work!” “Fire Fauci” and “Make America free again,” participants took turns yelling into megaphones, recording each other on their phones and parading up and down 11th Street at the Congress Avenue intersection. About two dozen Austin police and Texas Department of Public Safety officers stood by.

After an initial confrontation with several protesters edging into the street, the police mostly observed the protest, declining to issue citations for the generally unmasked and non-social-distancing participants.

The rally had been organized and promoted by Owen Shroyer, an Infowars host and colleague of Alex Jones, the site’s founder. Jones made an appearance about 30 minutes into the event, yelling through a megaphone through the sunroof of a black Infowars Humvee, inspiring loud cheers from the crowd.

The protest was the latest in a flurry of similar demonstrations across the country, including in California, Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan, where a demonstration in Lansing drew thousands of protesters.

On Friday, Trump appeared to throw his support behind the demonstrations, tweeting LIBERATE MICHIGAN and LIBERATE MINNESOTA, two states led by Democratic governors.

The timing of the Austin protest, a day after Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled a plan to ease the economic restrictions in Texas that have crippled businesses and caused the state’s unemployment rate to skyrocket, suggested that the Austin protest was more political than economic. Participants appeared to represent a wide range of conservative causes, from anti-vaccination and anti-abortion activists, to people quoting Scripture and blowing a shofar.

On Friday afternoon, Abbott announced that retailers could open for curbside delivery. He also reopened state parks for small groups of visitors who must still wear face masks. He said some elective medical procedures could resume, as well, although abortions were not included.

The governor said he would announce more measures April 27 and again in May, provided the spread of the novel coronavirus appeared to be controlled.

Under pressure from constituent dislocations because of their tanking economies, governors in several other states have also announced loosened restrictions. Epidemiologists have warned that such measures are risky without better and more available testing.

About 18,000 Texans have tested positive for the new coronavirus; 450 have died.

Eric Dexheimer began working in the Austin bureau of the Houston Chronicle in December 2018. Prior to that he worked for the Austin American-Statesman, alt-weeklies in Denver and Portland, and community daily and weekly newspapers in Upstate New York. He is originally from Batavia (Exit 48, NYS Thruway).